


Kuja.

by lesyeuxdelilith



Category: One Piece
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Amazon Lily (One Piece), Bittersweet, Character Study, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Light Angst, My First Work in This Fandom, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Team as Family, Tribe as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26255860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesyeuxdelilith/pseuds/lesyeuxdelilith
Summary: Boa Hancock celebrates her 20th birthday along with the rest of the Kuja, her yet-to-be-perfected façade cracking for the women she vowed to protect upon becoming empress.
Relationships: Boa Hancock & Boa Sandersonia & Boa Marigold, Boa Hancock & Kuja Tribe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Kuja.

“Pirate Empress” Boa Hancock examined the provisions that the Kuja Pirates had acquired in their latest raid with a critical eye. Silk, leather, different types of spices, weaponry, medicine, money… Everything seemed to be in place. The young empress exhaled, seemingly pleased with their newest round of supplies. According to her calculations, the provisions would last two entire months. Maybe two and a half.

 _Perhaps_ even three, Hancock thought with a sly smile.

The World Government — its mere name embedded daggers into her heart, sharp and vicious, just like the unforgiving fangs of her gruesome memories — had given the Ouka Shichibukai permission to plunder other pirates and uncivilized lands, so long as they gave a _portion_ of their loot to the Government in exchange. A portion, never a set percentage. Fooling those one-track-minded men and exploiting the agreement would be anything but difficult. The entire world would forgive her anyway, for she was beautiful.

“Onee-sama?” Sandersonia called softly, not daring to step into the room. Marigold stood next to her, a small smile brightening her features. Hancock looked at them, her gaze softening significantly. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Nodding briefly, Hancock came out of the supply room. A small part of her couldn’t help but wonder when exactly her little sisters had grown up so much. “Let’s go.”

They walked together — Sandersonia and Marigold falling behind ever so slightly, just like they always did — towards the Kuja Palace, where a celebration was about to take place. A toast for yet another successful raid and the Kuja’s ever-growing greatness, her sisters had said earlier that day. 

“One, two, three…” Hancock frowned, feeling a headache coming on. That voice sounded awfully like Gloriosa’s.

Before the empress could ask her sisters who on earth had decided to invite the traitor — traitor, for her bleeding heart would never be able to consider that woman a mother… or at least that was what Hancock told herself anyway — to the celebration, the Kuja collectively cheered.

“Happy birthday, Hebihime-sama!”

While Hancock did not stop dead in her tracks, her confident strides wavered almost imperceptibly. A myriad of emotions clawed at her tender heart, raw and powerful enough to leave her breathless. Her façade cracked slightly. Fortunately for her, nobody noticed. Or that was what she wanted to believe. Ignoring Gloriosa’s painfully knowing eyes was much easier than owning up to the sickening truth, after all.

“Onee-sama.” Marigold said, her voice dripping with earnest joy. That took Hancock aback for a split second. Revealing a small package, which she had been hiding behind her back all along, Marigold smiled. “This is for you. We found them a couple of raids ago.”

Tentatively, Hancock tugged at the ribbon and opened the box under the whole Kuja tribe’s expectant gaze. A couple of golden, serpent-themed earrings greeted her. 

For the very first time in eight years, Boa Hancock smiled truthfully.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello! 
> 
> I know this fanfic may seem a little out of character on Hancock’s end but please hear me out: younger Hancock must have been way more sensitive than the 29 year old we’re introduced to before the time skip. And why is that? Simple! Her trauma was more recent and raw. If it keeps on haunting her (and her sisters) to this day, making them break down at the slightest mention of what happened to them, I cannot imagine how they must have felt back in the day. Besides, creating a façade like Hancock’s takes years, so there’s that. 
> 
> That being said, I hope this fanfic was enjoyable in spite of that little detail! I really love Hancock (and the Kuja in general) so I wanted to write something that did her justice. Hope I achieved that! :D
> 
> As a little side note: don’t you all love how Hancock’s birthday comes from her tribe’s name since it can be derived from ku-ja? Really well played, Oda. Kudos to you, my friend.


End file.
